The present invention relates to a complex-shaped terminal board, in particular for high-current applications.
As is known, many devices, both industrial and non-industrial, require special terminal boards, particularly high-current devices and when user adjustment of the operating mode of the device is required. For example, a compressor may comprise an electric motor supplying user-adjustable power according to the type of application involved. More specifically, energy-saving or overload operating modes may be implemented for a limited period of time, in which case, service terminals must be provided to transmit user-selected commands to, and so modify the operating mode of, the electric motor of the compressor.
Known terminal boards comprise an electric circuit defined by a number of conducting tracks; and a body of dielectric material, in which the tracks are embedded, and which electrically insulates the tracks from one another and also acts as a support.
The conducting tracks have a number of ends, which provide, for example, for forming contacts with supply terminals of the user device (electric motor of the compressor) and standard multiway connectors.
Terminal boards are provided with clamping screws and respective nuts for electric connection to the cables of an external, e.g. mains, supply line, so that each cable is clamped between a screw and nut, and is connected electrically and mechanically to the terminal board.
Known terminal boards have various drawbacks: to form the necessary terminals and connectors, and at the same reduce the overall size of the terminal board, the tracks are bent so that respective portions lie in different planes. As a result, the body of dielectric material, in which the conducting tracks are embedded, is of complex shape (e.g. a box body), and co-molding of the body and tracks is made difficult.
Assembling the clamping screws may also pose problems, by the nuts having to be inserted inside the box body. Alternatively, the clamping screws and nuts may be fixed to ends of the conducting tracks projecting outside the box body; in which case, however, the screws and nuts may easily become detached and lost.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal board designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which is also cheap and easy to produce.
According to the present invention, there is provided a complex-shaped terminal board comprising at least one supporting member of dielectric material; and an electric circuit having a number of co-molded tracks embedded in said supporting member, substantially in a single molding plane; characterized in that said supporting member comprises a number of supporting portions connected to one another by exposed portions of said tracks; said exposed portions of said tracks forming plastic hinges between respective pairs of said supporting portions, and being bendable to bring said supporting portions into predetermined relative positions in which they form dihedral angles with respect to one another.
The supporting member and the circuit may thus be co-molded easily in one plane; and, by bending the exposed portions of the tracks, the supporting portions defining the supporting member can be brought into predetermined relative positions to obtain a terminal board of predetermined complex shape.
According to a further aspect of the invention, at least three of said supporting portions are arranged to form a box body supporting electric-connecting and fastening means for connecting at least some of said tracks to respective cables of a supply line.
Moreover, said electric-connecting and fastening means are located at least partly inside a cavity defined in said box body, and provide for clamping said cables of said supply line.
The electric-connecting and fastening means are therefore retained inside the box body, and can be seated before the exposed portions of the tracks are bent, thus simplifying assembly.